From the moment I arrived at Roger Williams University as an ‘Intercultural Leadership Ambassador,’ I immediately realized I was going to be touted as another number in the administration’s crusade to increase ‘diversity’ on campus.
Being a young African American woman, I have always felt pressured to join the liberal groups on campus like the “multicultural club” and “S.A.F.E,” because the same people denouncing stereotypes, could not handle that my ideology did not match my skin color.
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As a freshman, leaving my family to live in an unfamiliar place was difficult enough without being bombarded with the constant reminder of how much they valued my skin color. Because of my scholarship, however, I am obligated to participate in certain ‘co-curricular programs’ that would further my leadership skills in creating an ‘inclusive community.’ Of course, I take great risk in making these statements publicly, but I know my values and I will not be intimidated.
It took weeks for me to meet another conservative on campus, and they quickly confirmed my suspicions, our beliefs were not welcome on this campus. For a university that dares invoke the name of the political dissident Roger Williams, I am ashamed that they would welcome my body, but not my mind.
In an effort to secure some measure of institutional support for conservatives, I offered my help to a fledgling chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), waiting for school recognition. Within this group, I was disheartened to see that only one other person shared my naive faith that the university would be open to ideological diversity.
Will Nardi, the chapter chairman of the conservative group, had invited me to sit on the executive board as the secretary. I could tell that the other members felt beaten down and had little hope that our club would be approved, but we proceeded nonetheless.
I was warned that the student senate was fully opposed to anything conservative. I thought these were exaggerations, but when we finally appeared before the senate to ask for recognition, I could feel the tension in the room. Here I was, a freshman full of optimism, trying to do something good for the school, while dodging the hostility of my peers.
Shortly after the meeting I received a bizarre email asking me if I was sure that I was in the club that I just went to petition for, and that was when I realized who the real racists were.
They thought I was just a confused little black girl who didn’t know what she was doing, but I now know very well what we are up against.
The senators noted that they had concerns over the similarities between the College Republicans and YAF, so we prepared a powerpoint presentation to explain that as a registered 527 group, the College Republicans campaign on behalf of the Republican Party, but as a 501(c)(3), YAF was for strictly for educational purposes.
After the presentation, senators followed up with questions like, “Are you going to spread hate on this campus?” and, “Are you going to say things like feminism is cancer?”
Conservatives on college campuses across the country fight a battle for their existence every day, yet I must also fight to be seen as more than a number in a diversity quota. I was always told that college would challenge my perceptions of the world, but after that experience, I now understand that I won’t be learning much inside the classroom.
